As the leaves start to turn brown and temperatures begin to drop, TV shows have celebrated these seasonal changes in their own way. Here are some Halloween TV specials to enjoy for those with streaming access or even the free USC HBO subscription.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary centers around a group of teachers and faculty in the lowest-income school in the United States. The show highlights how successful and funny these characters can be while showing the struggles of low-income schools.
Halloween Episode: Candy Zombies, Season 2 Episode 6
The episode focuses on how the students and teachers experience Halloween on a school day. The teachers and staff get dressed up, some preparing for months, and try to stop the kids from eating Halloween candy. The kids steal the candy from them and trap themselves in the gym to eat the candy freely. It references famous scenes from Avengers: Endgame, The Shining and a James Harden interview meme.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Janine goes as James Harden, Gregory as Sully Sullenberg, Jacob as Wage Theft, Ava as Storm, Barbara as a spelling bee, Melissa as WandaVision and Mr. Johnson as Lil Uzi Vert.
Themes:
Comedy, Public Schools, Pop Culture references.
Level of Scary:
Minimal to none, more comedy than scary.
Black-Ish
Black-ish is a show centered around the Johnson family, a Black American middle-class family in white suburbia and how each character fits in or rejects it. The show highlights essential topics such as racial discrimination, feminism, micro-aggressions and holidays like Juneteenth. Black-ish touches on these topics while also adding light and comedic commentary.
Halloween Episode: Jacked’o Lantern, Season 2 Episode 6
In this episode, Dre’s cousins, nieces and nephews from South Central come to trick or treat with them. They are depicted as the “unhinged” cousins the Johnson family competes with. The Johnson family lives in the wealthier neighborhood with stable jobs and are still treated as smaller people by their family. Even Dre, an adult, gets bullied by his cousin who Michael Strahan plays. This episode reminds us of the complicated relationship dynamics between family members.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Dre goes as former President Barack Obama, Rainbow as Michelle Obama, Junior as a Secret Service agent, Diane as Sasha Obama, Zoe as Malia Obama and Jack as the First Dog, Bo.
Themes:
Comedy, Family Relationships.
Level of Scary:
Minimal to none, more comedy than scary.
Modern Family
Modern Family is a sitcom that revolves around the lives of three family units and their connection with each other. Each family unit is uniquely different from the other and has a central thematic focus, such as middle-class structures, racial relationships, adoption and queer relationships. The show ran for over 10 years and won numerous Emmys.
Halloween Episode: Halloween, Season 2 Episode 6
The episode begins with Claire, the queen of Halloween, trying to prank her son, Luke, into thinking she cut off her hand. Each character prepares for Claire’s big Halloween haunted house throughout the episode. Each one is either being dragged on by their day or trying to ignore Halloween like Cam.
On the other hand, Mitchell has begun a new job and does not yet understand the costume protocol. When he is one of the only three people dressed up at his firm, he regrets his choice and tries to find a way to get a suit to wear. When Gloria tries to order supplies, she faces a miscommunication issue that leaves her insecure about how she pronounces things. Then there is Phil, who is highly distressed and paranoid that Claire will suddenly divorce him because of a friend’s divorce. At the end of the episode, the Haunted House will be discussed for years to come.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Haley changes into numerous costumes and ends up as Mother Teresa, Luke goes as Victor Frankenstein, Alex as a stressed high-school student, and Claire and Phil go as matching dead brides and grooms. Gloria goes as the village witch, Jay as a gargoyle and Manny as Frankenstein. Mitchell goes as Spider-Man and a scarecrow.
Themes:
Comedy, Family Relationships, Halloween celebrations.
Level of Scary:
Minimal to none, more comedy than scary.
Superstore
Superstore is a show based on low-income characters who make the best out of life working at a “Superstore.” The series begins with spunky Jonah Simms entering the retail establishment Cloud 9 with bright optimism and carpe diem moments. He influences the characters and try to make the best out of every moment in life while also dealing with heavy topics like immigration, deportation, feminism and workers’ rights.
Halloween Episode: Halloween Theft, Season 2 Episode 7
In this episode, the employees are advised to watch for the troublemakers and people who will buy eggs and toilet paper. Each character goes about their day as any day, except with the theme of Halloween. Dina is put on the edge and keeps all the employees trapped inside the store, thinking one of them stole fruit. One of the most twist-turning plots is when Dina dresses up and reveals her cleavage — a turning point in the general plot where Garrett begins to fall for Dina. However, he doesn’t know it yet and deals with these complex issues throughout the episode, which runs later into the season as well.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Glenn goes as a Hot Dog, Cheyenne as Pikachu, Dina as a cop, Mateo as a cowboy, Jonah as the British Invasion, Garrett as James Bond and Amy as Cleopatra.
Themes:
Comedy, Living everyday life, queer relationships.
Level of Scary:
Minimal to none, more comedy than scary.
America Ferrera, who plays Amy, graduated from the University of Southern California. Ferrera earned a degree in international relations in 2013.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is known for television’s darker, scarier themes. It is an American horror anthology with 12 seasons and spinoffs. Each season is based on a different era and story, allowing the creative freedom to get into different themes of horror and history.
Halloween Episode: Halloween, Season 1 Episode 4
In the first season of American Horror Story, viewers are thrown into the world and history of the infamous Murder House in Los Angeles. Each episode explores the origins and lore of the people who lived in the Murder House and how, eventually, each one of the residents dies in the home suspiciously. In this episode, Halloween is when all passed souls can roam freely.
It becomes a vital factor of the episode when these past souls begin to interact with present-day renters of the Murder House. It also gives insight into the recent residents who passed away and the connection to the main villain, the Rubber Man. The current residents are getting tormented by the ghosts and even face cheating speculations between each other.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Vivien is a witch, Ben is a vampire, and Adelaide is a “pretty girl.”
Themes:
Origin stories, past lives, ghosts, cheating scandals, death and attempted murder.
Level of Scary:
Few jumpscares, thrilling, chilling, suspenseful with a hint of gore.
Derry Girls
Derry Girls is a show centered around five high school teenagers living during the political conflicts in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. While they depict the struggles of living during these conflicts, the characters try their best to get into high school hijinks and live their best life. They are sometimes getting into more trouble than they would if they were just honest.
Halloween Episode: Halloween, Season 3 Episode 6
Halloween is an exciting night for Derry, and it could not be a bigger night for everyone involved. This is especially true for Derry Girls’ main characters when they try to get tickets to the biggest Halloween party with Derry’s biggest idol and star, Fatboy Slim, in attendance. They constantly gain and lose the tickers throughout the episode. After James ripped up the tickets during a fight. He is plagued with guilt, but then he sees Michelle tell a false story about him getting beat up and robbed on local television. Eventually, they get VIP tickets because of this “sob story.” The episode ends with a melancholy and heartbreaking feeling when finding out that Clare’s father has died.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Each main character dresses up as an angel with brightly lit lights to represent Claire Danes in Romeo and Juliet.
Themes:
Music, Concerts, death, funerals, Halloween celebrations and parades.
Level of Scary:
Minimal to none, more comedy than scary. Also with serious subjects of loss.
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is a dramatic teenage television series focused on high school characters living in suburban Pittsburgh. The show is famous for tackling heavy subjects such as homophobia, child abuse, drug use, teen alcoholism, homelessness and queer stories. Premiering in the 1990s, the show is only one season long due to its competition with more popular shows at the time like Friends.
Halloween Episode: Halloween, Season 1 Episode 9
This episode focuses on a multitude of characters and storylines. When finding out that a student died at their school decades ago, Angela and her group of friends decide to conjure up the spirit. They break into the high school on Halloween night, leaving people to feel naturally spooky. Angela even sees how the student dies, making her feel scared to see what she believes. On the other hand, Jordan feels trapped by the stereotypes and limitations put on him by his teachers. When Angela gives him a convincing talk, he decides to take action in his own hands and not let anyone define him.
Characters that dress up in costume:
Danielle goes as Angela, Angela goes as a typical 1960s schoolgirl, Patty as Rapunzel and Graham as a pirate.
Themes:
Drama, teenager life, high school, spooky, supernatural hints.
Level of Scary:
Thriller with a focus on dramatic themes.